Quack-grass destroyer



Sept. 30, 1930. F, E MUHRBECK 1,777,126 f QUACK GRAS S DES TROYER FiledJuly 50, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 30, 1930. F. E. MUHRBECK QUACKGRASS DESTROYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 30, 1927 Patented Sept. 30,1.930

UNITED Ss'iirsTES Parent orticaY FRITZ E. MUHBBECK, 0F HANCOCK,MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GUST LUNDQ''IST, OF NORTHWOOD, NORTHDAKOTA QCK-GRASS DESTROYER Application led July 3G, 1927. Serial No.209,616.

This invention relates to a digging and picking implement, and while theinvention has utility for digging and picking various kinds of plantsand the roots thereof from the ground, it especially is designed fordig` ging, picking and destroying quack grass. It is now generallyunderstood that if quack grass is cut olf some distance beneath the soiland the roots dug up and separated from the soil so that they will beexposed to the sun the quack grass can be killed.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a simple andvery eiiicient machine for cutting off the quack grass, digging andseparating the roots thereof so that the same are separated from thesoil and discharged to the rear of the machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a machine for diggingand separating quack grass comprising a blade movable beneath thesurface of the soil, and a plurality of pickers movable above said bladeand in close proximity thereto in orbital paths disposed substantiallyin vertical planes.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a quack grassdestroying machine comprising a frame, a blade carried by said frame andmovable beneath the surface of the soil, a crank shaft disposed abovesaid blade having a plurality of cranks, a plurality of arms extendinglongitudinally of the machine swingingly mounted at their rear ends andcarried, respectively by said cranks, said arms having a plurality ofdownwardly extending teeth thereon and having rearwardly and downwardlycurved teeth at their forward ends movable over said blade.

It is still another object of the invention toprovide a quack grassdestroying machine, such as defined in the preceding paragraph, togetherwith means disposed below said arms and the teeth thereon for assistingin separating the grass and roots and moving the saine rearwardly of themachine.

It is also a further object of the invention to provide a machine, asset forth in the two preceding paragraphs, said last mentioned meanscomprising bars having upwardly projecting pins between which said teethmove, together with endless conveyers moving between said bars and pinsand having means thereon for separating the grass and roots therefrom.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with thedrawings in which like reference characters refer to the same partsthroughout the diiferent views, and in which,

Fig. l is a top plan view of the machine, some parts being broken awayand others shown in horizontal section;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation in vertical section taken on the line2-2 of l; andA Fig. 3 is a View in vertical section taken on the line3-3 of Fig. 2, the top portion of `the wheels being broken away.

Referring to the drawings, a machine is shown comprising a frame 5having longitudinally extending side members 5a having axle receivinghubs 5b in which are carried the axles 6 received in the hubs of maindriving wheels 7. As shown in 2, the driving wheels 7 may be provided ontheir peripheries with spaced helically extending cleats 8. While thesecleats may be in any1 desired form, in the embodiment of the inventionillustrated, they are shown in the form of angle bars. rihe framemembers 5 are connected at their front and rear ends by transversemembers 5c extending across the tops thereof and secured to thehorizontal flanges of the angle bars constituting members rThe sidemembers also have downwardly and rearwardly extending'bars 5d at theirrear ends and downwardly and forwardly extending bars 5e at their frontends, .these bars being connected adjacent their lower ends by upwardlyand rearwardly extending bars 5f, thus forming a quadrilateral framestructure. The bars 5a have rigidly connected to their forward endsdownwardly extending converging bars 5g which are connected together attheir ends. A shaft 9 extends between and is secured in the members 5a,said shaft having Journaled on its ends forwardly extending convergingbars l() extending in parallel relation at their forward ends andconnected in such spaced relation by members il and Sii , rigidlyconnected.

12. The members 1() have bearings lf3 secured therein and a verticalpivot shait 'lil extends through the rear one of said bearings and alsoextends through a bearing 15 below said bearing which is carried in ahorizontally and forwardly extending member 16 spaced below themembers10. The upper end of a crank member 17 is journaled in the forwardbearing 13 and carries at its lower end directly beneath the forwardbearing 13 a downwardly extending yole member 17a having outwardlyprojecting horizontal stub shafts 17h on which are carried the casterwheels 18. The crank poition of meinber 17 is journaled in the bearing19 also carried in the member 16, to which member the tongue or pole 2Oof the machine will be A. clevis or similar member 21 is pivotallyconnected to the forward ends of member 10 to which the traction meanswill be Connected. The members 10 have brace members 10n secured theretoand extending therebetween and the shaft 22 also extends between members10 and is secured thereto. A lever 23 is pivoted on shaft 22 having ahandle portion adjacent which is ivoted the pawl grip 24 connected by alink g5 to the pawl 28 adapted to seat in any one of the notches of asegment 27 secured to the members 10a. The lever 23 below the shaft 22has a downwardly and forwardly extending arm 23 pivotally connected to adownwardly extendinfr link 28 having a lurality of holes 28 adjacent itslower en in any one of which a ivot pin 29 may be disposed te connectsai link to the forward ends of members 5. The forward ends of members5s have a bearing 29 secured therein in which is journaled a verticallydisposed crank shaft 3() having secured to its lower end an arm 31having a stud 32 in its lower end on which is jcrnaled a Coulter disk33. The side members 5 have bearings 5h secured thereto forwardly of thebearings 5b in which is journaled a cranl: shaft 34 having a pluralityof crank portions Sie thereon. Crank shaft 34 carries at one end a gear35 which `meshes with an internal gear 36 secured inside of the memberof one wheel 7, said gear being secured to spaced angle lugs 37 securedto said wheel. Crank shaft 34 has journaled on the crank ortions or ins34a thereof, arms or swinv'ing ars 38. Lhese arms 38 extend len'tudinally of the frame 5 in an upwardly an rearwardly inclineddirection and are pivotall'y connected at their rear ends to the ends ofarms or links 39 journaled on a shaft 40 carried in bearings 4lprojecting upwardly from and secured to the side members 5a. The forwardportions of arms 38 are curved downwardly and rearwardly substantially'in the are of a circle and have downwardly extending teeth or ickers 88asecured thereto. The vbars 38 also iave a plurality of downwardlyextending spaced teeth 38 secured vwardly inclined edges.

thereto throughout their length, said 'teeth decreasing' in lengthtoward the rear ends of said arms. A blade or share l2 seein-wl to theforked ends oi' the bars 5f in the lo f ends of the bars 5@ and projectiug forwardly and downwardly, said blade having a pointed end withforwardly conve ging sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and A plurality cit bars48 extend longitudinally oi`I the frame parallel to the bars 5', saidbars being securec to rearwardly projecting arms i-2 oi the share 42 andsecured at their rear ends, the bars being supported at the rear ends ona transverse memberoil the frame and projecting some distance in thcrear of ineinbers 5 and 5d, as shown in Figs. i The bars i3 haveprojecting upwardl7 therefrom, pins le illustrated as inclinedrearwardly. Bearings are carried at cach side of the frame at the lowerends of ieinl;1 5d in which is journaled a shaft 'l irshaft 46 carries agear i7 at one end at the outer side of the side .members 5 meshing witha gear 48 disposed thereabove, which latter is carried in a stub shaftul) carried in the upwardly projecti fitenslc-n el? beering 45. The stubshalt i.) has secured thereto a sprocket wheel 50 over which runs achain 51, said chain ruiming over a spr its forward end secured to a scarried in a bearing secured to de members 5a. The shaft 53 has a gearai secured thereto which also meshes with the .internal gear 36 on wheel7. Bearings also secured at the forward end of the iframe adjacenty thelower ends of members 5@ in which is j oui'- naled a shaft 5G. The shaft56 has spaced sprockets 57 secured thereto over which run.yrespectively, the chains :38, said che.' -e ruiming over sprockets 59secured to sha 4G. The chains 58 have secured thereto, zu" intervals,bars 6G which extend between said chains, said bars carrying the members31 illustrated as in the form of a comparativeljy thin metal plate orblade having upper 'rear- '.llhe chains 58 and bars GO of courseconstitute au endless veyor or carrier extending from the fea 1 theblade Ll2 to the rear 01"' the cscillatory 'ins or bars 38. The chains58 move in the direction shown by the arrows in F 2. A bracket bar 62 issecured to a transverse bar 5 and reversely curved to have its upper endi cured rearwardly and a seat 63 is cari, by said bar. .Plates ha aresecured at the sides of member 5 and enclose frame :3.

In operation, the machine will be drawn forwardly by some suitabletraction means. such as a team or" horses, or a ti lever 23 will beadjusted so as to blade 42 at the height desired. will be seen byswinging leverI 23 that the 'traine will be raised or lowered, themembers Swingin about pivot shaft about which the mem ers 10 will alsoswing. 'fr' hen the Lin operation, the lever can be swun blade l2 isproperly adjusted and the machine drawn forwardly, said blade will movethrough the ground, as shown in Fig. 2, cutting off a certain layer ofearth and severing the roots of the grass,"I or other plants beingeradicated. its the wheels T move forwardly, gear 36 is revolved andpinion 35 rotated, thus rotating the crank shaft Bei. As crank shaft 84is rotated the aris or bars 38 are moved, or gyrated at their forwardends in orbital paths, the rear ends there@` swinging on their arms vorlinks 39 which swing about shaft 40. T he lower ends or the teeth orpickers 38a move quite close to the top surface of the blade e2 and thegrass and roots severed by said blade are dug or picked and separatedfrom the soil. rihese grass and roots are given a movement toward therear of the machine and will be pushed backwardly along the bars d3, Thegrass and roots will be successively engaged by the teeth 381. The bars43 and pins la'- are provided to keep the roots from sticking to t, i38h and, in a sense, to comb the same Q Y from. rllhe chains, with theirmoving bars GQ are provided with the blade members (El to insure thatthe grass will not accumulate or becomepiled up on the pi; The blademembers 6l niove between t sever and release the grass might accumulates grass and roots are thus kept mo.

wardly of the machine and wi ,1 di= at the ends thereof and from the c-is the machine moves forwarcly the c.) disk 33 will cut into the soilto define one side of the piece of land being treated. The machine canbe guided eiectively by c -ongue member 2O and the caster wheels 'l willswing with the tongue. Tfl/Then it is desired to transport the machinewhile the same raise the blade 42, above the surface ofL grounc Themachine can then be di over the ground merely moving on the wheels T andi8. The plates retain the and roots until discharged at the rear end ofthe machine.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a verysimple anc cient machine for destroying quae frass, objectionable weedsor other plants= ine ss and weeds, together with their roots, are dug upand efficiently separated from the soil so that they can be exposed tothe sun and are quickly withered. rlhe machine is comparatively simplein structure and can be made very strong and rugged.

lt will, of course, be understood, that rions changes may be made in thefori i, tails, arrangement, and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope applicants invention, which, generally stated.consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forthand described anc defined in the appended claims.

Vhat is claimed is:

l. A. quack grass destroying machine having in combination, a frame, ablade carried thereby adapted to move through the ground and sever thegrass and roots, a crank shaft journaled in said frame above said bladehaving a plurality of cranks thereon, a plurality of arms respectivelycarried on said cranks extending longitudinally of the frame andswingingly mounted on depending links at the rear end thereof, said armseach having a rearwardly curved downwardly extending tooth at itsforward end moving over and in close proximity to said blade, said armshaving downwardly extending teeth spaced throughout their lengththereof, spaced bars extending longitudinally of said frame below saidteeth having pins projecting upwardly thereof, and an endless carriermoving between said bars and having spaced members projecting upwardlytherefrom movable between said bars and adjacent said pins for removingany accumulation of grass and roots.

2. A quack grass digging machine having in combination, a frame, a bladecarried thereby and adapted to move beneath the surface of the ground, acrank shaft extending transversely of said frame and carried thereinhaving a plurality of crank arms, a plurality of arms respectivelycarried by said crank arms, said arms being pivoted at their rear endsto links, respectively, journaled on a shaft extending transversely ofsaid frame, each arm having a plurality of downwardly projecting spacedteeth and having a rearwardly curved downwardly extending picker at itsforward end movable over and in close proximity to said blade, and meansco-operating with said arms and teeth for separating grass and roots andmoving the same rearwardly of said frame.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, said teeth on said armsdecreasing in length rearwardly of said machine.

d. A quack grass destroying machine having in combination, a frame,means carried thereby for moving through the ground and severingthegrass and roots, and a plurality of means gyrating in vertical planesabove said first mentioned means for separating the grass and roots fromthe soil, said last mentioned means extending longitudinally of theframe and having spaced members thereon for engaging the grass androots, and means co-operating with said members for moving said grassand roots longitudinally of the frame and cutting the same.

5. A quack grass destroying machine having in combination, a frame,means carried thereby for moving through the ground for severing thegrass and roots, a plurality of bars extending longitudinally of saidframe mounted for swinging movement at their rear ends, cranks connectedto the forward ends of said bars for moving them in circular paths, aplurality of stationary bars extending longitudinally of the framebeneath and between said bars, downwardly and rearwardly curved teeth atthe ends of said first mentioned bars and spaced rearwardly directedteeth depending from the same throughout their length, and an endlessconveyor beneath said second mentioned bars having cutting membersprojecting above the same.

6. A quack grass destroying machine having in combination, a frame, ablade carried thereby adapted to move through the ground and sever thegrass and roots, a plurality of bars disposed in said frame mounted foroscillating movement at their rear ends and for circular movement attheir forward ends, rigid teeth depending from said bars at theirforward ends and movable rearwardly over said blade and adjacentthereto, spaced teeth depending throughout the length of said bars, andspaced stationary bars beneath said first mentioned bars having pinsprojecting upwardly therefrom with which said last mentioned teethco-operate, said first mentioned teeth acting to tear the roots from thesoil and said last mentioned teeth operating to move said roots to therear of the machine.

7. A quack grass destroying machine having in combina-tion, a frame, a.blade carried thereby adapted to move through the ground and sever thegrass and roots, a crank shaft journaled in said frame above said bladehaving a plurality of cranks thereon, a plurality of arms respectivelycarried on said cranks extending longitudinally of the frame andswingingly mounted at the rear end thereof, said arms each having arearwardly curved rigid downwardly extending tooth at its forward endmoving over and in close proximity to said blade to tear and separatesaid grass and roots from the soil, said arms having a plurality ofdownwardly extending teeth secured thereto throughout their length, barsextending longitudinally of said frame between said arms having pinsprojecting upwardly toward said arms and an endless conveyor movablebeneath said last mentioned 8. A quack grass destroying machine havingin combination, a frame, a blade carried thereby adapted to move throughthe ground and sever the grass and roots, a crank shaft journaled insaid frame above said blade having a plurality of cranks thereon, aplurality of arms respectively carried on said cranks extendinglongitudinally of the frame and swingingly mounted at the rear endthereof, said arms each having a rearwardly curved rigid downwardlyextending tooth at its forward end moving over and in close proximity tosaid blade to tear and separate said grass and roots from the soil, barsextending longitudinally between said arms having pins projectingupwardly therefrom, a plurality of teeth projecting downwardly fromeach. of said arms in spaced relation between said pins, and meansmoving between said bars for removing any grass and roots which mightaccumulate against said pins.

9. A quack grass destroying machine having in combination a frame, meanscarried thereby for moving through the ground for severing the grass androots, a plurality of bars extending longitudinally of said framemounted for swinging movement at their rear ends, cranks connected tothe forward ends of said bars for moving them in circular paths, aplurality of stationary bars extending longitudinally of the framebeneath and between said bars, downwardly and rearwardly curved teeth atthe ends of said first mentioned bars and spaced rearwardly directedteeth depending from the same throughout their length, and an endlessconveyor beneath said second mentioned bars having cutting membersprojecting above the same, said last mentioned bars having spaced pinsprojecting upwardly therefrom and inclined rearwardly, between whichsaid last mentioned teeth move.

lK A- quack grass destroying machine having in combination, a frame, ablade carried thereby adapted to move through the ground and sever thegrass and roots, a plurality of bars disposed in said frame mounted foroscillating movement at their rear ends and for circular movement attheir forward ends, rigid teeth depending from said bars at theirforward ends .and movable rearwardly over said blade and adjacentthereto, spaced teeth depending throughout the length of said bars, andspaced stationary bars beneath said iirst mentioned bars having pinsprojecting upwardly therefrom with which said last mentioned teethcooperate, said first mentioned teeth acting to tear the roots from thesoil and said last mentioned teeth operating to move said roots to therear of the machine, and an endless conveyor movable beneath said lastmentioned bars and having blades thereon extending above said lastmentioned bars to sever any roots collecting on said pins.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRITZ E. MUHRBECK.

Sill

